Sportsman's Quest

Hunting for the cape buffalo can be quite an experience -- and quite dangerous.

The African cape buffalo charges and the professional hunter make a well-placed shot into the oncoming bull with his .458-caliber Lott rifle, and then another, but the momentum of the charge keeps it coming.

The hunter instinctively holds the rifle cross-ways, as if to block the charge. The bull hooks the hunter in the groin and through the bowel, then tosses him 10 feet into the air as if playing with a ball. It then spins around and charges to finish the job, as only a cape buffalo can.

But this isn't the beginning of the story, nor the end, so let's go back to earlier in the day as my friend, Professional Hunter Ken Du Plesse of Fauna Afrika, tells it.

He, his assistant guide Peter Swanson, and Jeff, an experienced hunter and former FBI agent, are in Mozambique, Africa, when they cut the tracks of a large herd which had crossed the dirt road earlier in the day and they are off on foot.

After a three-hour trek, they can smell the buffalo and their senses go into alert mode. You know they are there; suddenly you see them to the right. Some are moving. You find some have moved behind you and are in your tracks. They have circled, and you are in the middle of the herd.

Your best survival skills kick in. You check the wind direction and wait, watching. After about 45 minutes, the "dugga boys" (herd bulls) come in for a look, their noses up. These bulls are a hunter's dream come true, and Jeff is a good shot with a great attitude.

As he shoots, the herd stampedes in chaos, but away from the hunters. The bull is hit hard, but as Ken says, "He still seems healthier than he should be." They then follow the blood trail and find the bull made the classic "buffalo circle."

Peter first comes upon the bull which looks very sick. He signals to the others, but before they can get there, the bull "comes alive" again and charges. This takes us back to the beginning of our story. Both Jeff and Ken put lead into the bull and he falls next to the apparently lifeless Peter.

As they reach their friend, they find he's seriously injured, but still alive. A chopper is called and Peter is air-lifted to Pretoria, South Africa. Following many stitches and weeks of rehab, he is once again whole.

That's still not the end of the story. Twenty-three year-old Peter still guides with Ken today, and I look forward to joining them one day on a hunt for the animal they call "black death."

For more information on Ken Du Plesse's Fauna Africa, go to www.faunaafrika.com.

The arts

One of my favorite wildlife artists is Michael Sieve. He captured not only the color of his subjects and their environment; he captures the flavor.

He is a fellow naturalist and hunter with a keen eye. He is also an internationally acclaimed conservationist.

In this depiction of a Cape Buffalo, "Heart of Darkness," he gets it right. One senses its alertness and the potential for serious danger.

Michael found this "Buff" while on Safari in Tanzania. You'll notice the unusual one-eyed stare. They will usually look at you dead on (pun intended), but this one had lost one eye, probably to a lion. However, there is little doubt what he is thinking.

Michael's skill is equally evident in his more recent depiction of cape buffalo in "Buffalo Dawn."

For more information on Michael Sieve, contact Wild Wings, who graciously made this image possible.

Go to www.wildwings.com or give them a call at 1-800-445-4833.